Field studies

The mosquito specialists from the biotech company Biogents are able to perform field studies in different biotopes, e.g., in southern Germany against domestic (floodwater) mosquito species.

Procedure

Test formulations are applied to the forearms or lower legs of ten volunteers while the rest oft he body is protected from bites by standardized clothing. Prior to the beginning of a study, ten locations with a sufficient and comparable mosquito activity are designated within the chosen biotope. Each volunteer receives his or her own location per test day, in between the days volunteers rotate between the different locations. Biting activity is verified with the untreated forearm or lower leg, shortly after the treated skin is exposed for 10 to 15 min (while the untreated arm or leg is covered by protection clothes). Efficacy tests are repeated every hour during peak activity hours of the local species, which may vary substantially. Repetition is done for statistical and scientific reasons.

Concerns

Field studies with human volunteers are not always feasible and ethically justifiable, especially in endemic regions where wild mosquito populations can transmit diseases (which is so far not the case in Germany). Tests against vector species (such as the malaria, dengue or yellow fever species Aedes resp. Anopheles) are therefore performed in the laboratory against pathogen-free strains.

Field tests are also considerably time and cost intensive. In contrast to laboratory tests, they cannot be performed at any time, and depend on various abiotic and biotic factors (climatic conditions, mosquito population density, species specific activity patterns, etc.). Special attention needs to be paid to these factors during scheduling and budget planning.

This website uses cookies to customize your experience on our website and ensure you get the best experience from it. By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance to our privacy policy unless you have manually disabled them.OKPrivacy policy